RYA Short Range Certificate course bags two e-learning awards! 

Best Use of Mobile Learning and Best E-learning Project

We’re thrilled to announce that the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) clinched not one, but two Gold Awards at the 2014 E-learning Age Awards – winning the categories of Best Use of Mobile Learning and Best E-learning Project in the UK Private Sector.  

Hosted by Angela Lamont and Alan Dedicoat and held at the Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square in London’s Mayfair, the awards celebrated the best of e-learning that is taking place across the globe. Over 500 people attended the biggest gala evening to date where 55 gold, silver and bronze awards were given out.  

The judges were amazed by the high standards this year and the breadth of excellent e-learning taking place worldwide. The RYA partnered with Mind Click to conceive its Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC) e-learning course and, since its launch in January, nearly 4,500 people have taken the course in preparation for their VHF Short Range Certificate exam.   

This project had it all, declared the judges, overcoming substantial cultural and technical challenges to demonstrate that e-learning can surmount barriers to enable practical skills to be taught online – making it a worthy Gold Award winner in the Best E-learning Project in the UK Private Sector category.  

The course includes a realistic simulation of a marine VHF radio with innovations including the recording and playback of student responses to the Coastguard, as well as best practice examples. This custom simulation runs on iPads, PCs and Macs, resulting in a rich and realistic learning experience that enables users to practice a key skill in private and at their own pace.  

The project team also picked up the Gold Award for Best Use of Mobile Learning, having impressed the judges with the offline capability allowing the course to be taken in remote locations without constant internet access.    

The RYA is a relative newcomer to e-learning, having undertaken this new initiative with the help of funding from Sport England just five years ago.

Jane Hall, e-learning Manager at the RYA welcomed the double accolade. She said: “We were thrilled when the judges commended the RYA and Mind Click for combining technical ingenuity with excellent project management. The feedback on the course so far has been really positive.

"Our thanks go to everyone involved in this double award-winning e-learning project – and of course to our training centres who are doing such a great job of promoting the course to their students.”